Illegal Retread Factories Raided in Malaysia

The Malaysian newspaper The Star has reported that local trading standards authorities have put the brakes on two retread factories suspected of using fake Sirim certification and labels.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai was quoted as saying that the tyres produced did not comply with set standards and were a danger to the users and others on roads.

“There are many fatal accidents on roads due to retreaded tyres that do not meet standards,” said Liow. To prevent a continuation of this state of affairs, the Malaysian Road Transport Department launched an operation involving members of the police’s Special Task Force on Organised Crime, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, Sirim, Customs Department, Immigration Department and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

In a move which retreaders in many countries would have observed with a mixture of admiration and envy, officers raided the factories in Bukit Beruntung and Senawang in Negri Sembilan on Feb 23 and 28. A total of 480 retreaded truck and bus tyres worth RM 247,500 were seized along with 1,374 Sirim MS224-2005 labels that were suspected to be fake.

The factory owners were detained in the raids while another person was arrested for trying to bribe the raiding team with RM50,000. The factories have since been sealed by the authorities.

In a statement Liow confimed that factories producing retreads would be monitored to ensure that they follow the standards set by Sirim. Factories operating illegally would be rooted out and shut down, he added.

David is the Owner and Publisher ofRetreading Business. With over 30 years' experience as a specialist tyre industry journalist, he first entered the tyre industry in 1987 as Editor ofTyres & Accessories.He was Editor ofTyre Trade Newsbetween 1993-96 before establishingRetreading Businessin 1997. In 2004 he acquired the Malaysian tyre magazine The Tyreman,before establishing Tyre & Rubber Recyclingin 2009. In addition to his publishing ventures, he was also Director of the Retread Manufacturers' Association between 2004 and 2014.